


friends don’t look at friends that way

by orphan_account



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: #JJandKiara, #Jiara, #and angst, #fluffiness, #happy ending tho, #late night summer vibes, #like i love them sm, #my ship, #pouges, #shouting i love you in a fight, #songfic??, #they are so in love like-, #they r confused, #this is so cheesy i’m so sorry, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24768253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: a fight, a couple of late night drives, wandering eyes, almost kisses.anyone observant can see that JJ and Kiara are clearly more than friends.ora oneshot in which JJ and Kie fall in love to Tate Mcraes song “that way”
Relationships: JJ & Kiara (Outer Banks), JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 106





	friends don’t look at friends that way

_I know what you mean when you act like that_

_You don't know it's breaking my heart_

_Said that it was just never gonna happen_

_Then almost kissed me in the dark_

“Sorry, I zoned out for a minute.” Kie gets out, barely acknowledging the boy sitting to her left. He’s tall. Has brown hair. Bryan, she thinks his name is. 

“Something on you’re mind?”

Her eyes are still scanning around the crowd, they land on him, with his sun kissed shoulders and blonde hair. It makes her stomach turn. He has a girl on his arm, a pretty thing, with blonde highlights and another who’s giving him eyes from across the boneyard. 

_Yep. She’s definitely got something on her mind._

“No, no-It’s nothing.” 

She doesn’t say anything for a couple of moments, while her eyes watch the blonde boy in the crowd. He’s got that goofy grin plastered on his lips, the one that makes her crazy, although she isn’t the only one who loves it because he’s got another girl pressed up against him. Her eye brows furrow, how can one boy get so many girls and jus-

“Is that you’re ex?”

“What?” She whips her head around and her eyes scan the boys face. Then back out into the crowd where JJ is. 

“Look, I don’t want to waste anyone’s time here.” He says, getting up from the log they’re sitting on. He brushes some sand off of his legs. “You’re clearlynot over him.” 

“ _Over him?_ No, you see, I was never _with him.”_

He gives her a look and she knows he isn’t convinced. With that he walks away, turning to give her a little wave and she gives him a watery sympathetic smile. At least she didn’t have to push him off of her, like she usually does with guys she meets at these things. 

_fuck this, I’m going home._

She gets up quickly and walks up the beach.

Kie feels like crying. Seeing him with girls attached to the hip at parties isn’t anything new, but it rubs her in all the wrong places. Besides, he hadn’t even noticed her since she got there. She isn’t sure when she’s started feeling like this, like she has an _actual crush._ And maybe she is a little jealous. _Okay, maybe a-lot jealous._

“Kie?” She swings her head to see JJ following her. He lets out a short raggedy breath. 

“What are you doing?” She croaks, feeling the sand beneath her feet. She wishes she could just sink right into it.

“You just left.” He shrugs. “I thought something was wrong.” 

_Wow, observant._

“Weren’t you busy with you’re little girlfriends?” She scoffs, she doesn’t mean for it to sound so harsh but it just comes out that way. 

His expression morphs into confusion as he looks at her. He looks cute standing there, angelic almost in the dim light from the campfire and the glow of the ocean on his skin. 

“Kie, you know I can’t keep my eyes off of you.” He says softly, as if it’s just for her to hear. He takes a couple steps towards her.

Her breath catches in her throat and she can’t breathe for a second. Her heartbeat is too overwhelming. 

Somehow, he knows all the right things to say. Kiara’s gravitated towards him and when she feels him trace his arm down her back everything stops. 

“What are you doing?” She gets out. 

“You don’t like it?” He jokes, and she’s jealous of how confident and sure he is of himself, she could never. 

She ignores his question completely, she’s not giving him the satisfaction of saying his touch is enough to make her melt. She’s not. And plus, Kie’s still supposed to be mad at him. 

“You said it yourself. Remember? _It’s never going to happen with another Pouge.”_ She recalls it, sure it was over two years ago, but she still remembers it. 

“Shit, I was talking about no “pouge on pouge” macking. The same rule _you_ created.” 

Her eyes drift away from his and onto the sand, her heart still heavy. 

“Kiara.” He breathes, it’s practically a plea. 

She lets herself meet his eyes again, but when she does his are already eyeing her lips. He’s leaning in and she wants so badly to kiss him, to give in, but she knows it will only cause her more pain. 

She knows her heart can’t take much more. If she kisses him, the next time she sees him dancing with another girl it will hurt ten times more. 

She pulls away quickly. 

“I can’t do this.” 

It’s the last thing she says before she disappears into the dark, ignoring JJ’s calls behind her. 

_Every time we talk it just hurts so bad_

_'Cause I don't even know what we are_

_I don't even know where to start_

_But I can play the part_

She groans loudly at the text from her dad and lets her head fall back against the mesh of the hammock. 

_You forgetting something? Curfew? Kiara, get over here now._

“You good Kie?” Pope says, his eyes still scanning the pages of his book. His face illuminated in the light of chateau around them. 

“I forgot I have to be home at 11. My dads gonna kill me.”

She gets up, rocking the hammock as she does. “ _Shit.”_

“What?” It’s JJ who asks, he’s laying in the grass as he rolls a blunt between his fingers. 

“Think JB will mind if I borrow the van?” She asks, they picked her up, so now she’s really got no way home. 

JJ looks up.

“I’ll drive you.” 

“I can drive myself.” She rolls her eyes. The last thing she needs is a car ride with him, they haven’t talked about what happened two nights ago. She intends to keep it that way. 

“Yeah, I know _that._ But who will bring the van back?” 

“Fine.” She says. _This better not be an excuse to get us alone together._

“Behave!” She hears Pope yell from across the Chateau, with a quick eye roll she closes the van door behind her. 

It’s quiet on the drive, she reaches to turn on the radio, but when she does she feels his hand brush hers away. 

“What are-”

“Look, Kie.” He says, rather sternly. “I know you’re mad at me.” 

“I’m not mad at you.” She says. Maybe she’s a _little_ mad, more confused, hurt, scared of losing him to whatever she’s feeling. 

“Then why haven’t you talked to me?” 

She ignores him, and lets her head fall against the passenger seat window, letting out a groan. Kiara doesn’t want to deal with this right now and she doesn’t look up until she feels the van come to a halt. 

He parks the car and turns so he can look at her, throwing his hands in the air like he’s waiting for her to talk. It startles her for a second.

“You drive me crazy sometimes.” She gets out, although she doesn’t mean it. He ignores her. 

“This is about what happened two days ago isn’t it?” He says it quietly, looking down. His hands get all fidgety. “I’m sorry about that, okay?”

She finds his eyes in the dark, filled with sincerity. Her heart beats faster in her chest and she can’t even think of what to say, of where to start. 

“It’s okay.” She says, because she knows that’s all she’ll be able to say now. Anything is easier then telling him how she really feels. And he does seem, genuinely sorry. 

She lets her head fall on his shoulder and he immediately leans into the pressure. 

“Kie, I can’t even explain all of the things I’m thinking.” He whispers. 

Her heart beats and she turns so she can hug him, his arms wrap around her. She’s hugged him before, but it feels different and entirely new.

“Shh, I know.” She says, quietly. “Another time.” 

She lets him hug her for a moment and forgets about the curfew, their awkward almost kiss, the feeling she gets when she’s with him. 

“We’re best friends.” She states. 

“Best friends.” He nods, starting the car again. She chooses to ignore the hinge of sadness in his voice. “and I’m sorry about the... you know-” 

“Lets just not mention it. Blame it on the alcohol.” She says with a weak smile, because she can play the part. Even though she was completely sober and his breath was entirely clear of alcohol. 

She’s surprisingly not that late to her curfew that night. 

_We say we're friends_

_But I'm catching you across the room_

_It makes no sense_

“I vote for staying in.” Sarah says, resting her feet on John B.’s lap, looking like she isn’t ready for anything except a afternoon on the couch. “We could watch a movie?” 

“We don’t even have a TV.” Pope says. 

Kiara hops up onto the island countertop, and lets out a sigh. The five friends had been trying to figure out what to do for the past half an hour. “I still think surfing sounds good.” 

“When does surfing not sound good?” JJ pipes up, his head is rested back on the armchair but he lifts it so he can eye Kie. 

She lets out a laugh. “Fair point, JB?” 

“Staying in.” 

“Boring.” JJ groans.

“Two votes for staying here, two for surfing. Okay Pope, it’s your time to shine.” 

“Woah, hey. I never _officially_ casted a vote.” JJ snarks “What if I just want to smoke weed?”

Kiaras eyes find his across the room and she gives him a pout. He flushes. _Too easy._

 _“Okay._ Surfing. Whatever Kie wants.” 

He says it so nonchalantly and she feels her cheeks heat up a little.

“ _Great.”_ Pope rolls his eyes. “I’m the tie breaker between two guys who are totally whipped.” 

Sarah lets out a laugh and Kie can’t hide her embarrassment. Her eyes catch his again and he lets out a innocent smile. She can’t help but melt on the inside. 

“But, I guess I vote for surfing.” 

_'Cause we're fighting over what we do_

_And there's no way_

_That I'll end up being with you_

_But friends don’t look at friends that way_

“I’m not letting you go, get you’re ass back here.” She says sternly, slamming the door behind her and running after him across the grass.

He groans loudly as he walks toward the bike that’s parked in the shade. 

“I should’ve never told you, I knew you would freak like this.” 

“Freak? Yeah, I have a good reason too! Every time you go to your dads you get hurt.” She shouts back. He doesn’t seem to get it does he?

“What do you expect from me? He’s my dad.” He huffs, and he blinks back the pools that are gathering in her eyes. Her heart breaks. He slips the bike helmet over his head. 

“I have to go home eventually. I’m going.” 

“I’m not letting you.” She says, and places her hands on the bike.

“Why do you even care? Nobody else does!” 

“That’s not true and you know it.” 

“Kiara.” He says sternly. She furrows her brow. “Move.” She doesn’t move.

“No.” She says stubbornly. “If you’re going, then I’m going with you.” She swings her leg over the bike and sits down right on the leather seat. 

He lets out a groan of frustration. “You’re so hard to deal with.”

“Yeah? Well you’re being stupid! You’re gonna get yourself hurt.” She yells back, not budging.

He stares at her conflicted and she knows he would never lay a hand on her but he continues to fight her with his words. 

_Doesn’t he see how much it hurts me when he does this?_

“You’re being impossible!” 

”You’re being blind JJ! Can’t you see that I love you and I don’t want you getting hurt?”

He stops in his tracks to look at her and she’s shaking. Her cheeks tinting. There, She said it. _He knows. He knows how much I love him. I love him, I love him. I love him, more than a friend._

“What?” He asks, breathless.

She takes in a breath of the humid air and looks at him, he’s tossed off his bike helmet and he’s staring back at her with wide eyes. His jaw slightly open in awe.

JJ’s hair is tousled and Kiara just stares at him. The boy who was reckless, who didn’t deserve what he got, who did stupid things but still made her love him, who she would do anything to protect. 

“I love you.” She says again, and it takes all of her courage but she says it anyways, knowing it’s nothing but true.

“I know.” 

“What?” She responds, shock filling her body. _How did he know?_

 _“You love me._ Like a friend, like your best friend.” 

She shook her head, reaching for his hand, almost begging for him to understand. 

“ _No._ I love you, like I want to be with you. I want to be _more than just a friend.”_

She watches his face change, but she doesn’t have time to study his expression because he’s pulled her to his body and she’s pressed against him.

She gasps when she feels his lips on hers, soft and needy. He’s kissing her like he’s been planning this for years and she can’t help but feel herself melt in his arms. This is the feeling Kiaras been craving for so long.

He pulls away breathless and his lips are swollen. She blushes. 

_“God,_ why didn’t you say something.” He breathes. “I’ve been wanting to do that forever.” 

“I didn’t know you felt the same- _wait_ , you feel the same?” 

He lets out a laugh. “I love you too, Kie.” 

She stares up at him in awe. 

“You had no idea?” He says, a smirk growing on his lips. 

“You flirted with almost every girl at almost every party.” 

“Only because I wanted to make you jealous. I would do anything to keep my mind off of you, I love you.” He says again and she swears if her heart beats any louder it’s going to explode. 

She can’t even quite describe the feeling of hearing him saying those three words back, but she’s laughing and she kisses him again until she needs oxygen. She whispers another _I love you_ because she doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of saying it.

“I never thought there was a chance we would end up together.” She says and she lets out a little laugh. It doesn’t feel real, standing in his arms outside the Chateau in the heat of summer. _She’s in love too. Kiara never thought she would get this._

“Tell me about it.” He laughs. He tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear and she sighs. A happy sigh.

“Whatever is going on with your dad, we can figure it out. Together.” She states and she kisses his cheek just because she can. 

“Together.” He repeats. 

_Friends don’t look at friends that way_

“You sure you want to tell them?” He asks her, his hand intertwined with hers in the dark as they walk from the car to the front porch of the Chateau. The light hitting his skin.

“I think they’ve already figured it out, but I’m sure.” She smiles, he just responds by pressing a kiss to her head. 

If the two of them arriving to the Chateau alone and over ten minutes late, wasn’t a dead giveaway, the way JJ effortlessly tucked Kiara into his side was enough to get everyone’s attention. 

“Uhm, hey guys.” Kiara says, a smile growing on her lips as she saw their wide eyes. “So, you should probably know-“ 

“You guys are dating.” Sarah finished for them. 

“What? How’d you know?” 

“Umm, it was kinda obvious.” 

“It was _really_ obvious.” Pope says, a playful expression on his face. “We just didn’t know if you were y’know _putting labels on it.”_

Kiara lets her jaw drop for a second as she looks around the room at her four best friends, who are all smiling at them. She checks her boyfriend, who still had her under his arm and is smiling. _How did she get so lucky?_

“You too, JB?” JJ asks. 

“Yup. I totally called it way before you guys knew.” 

“How?” She asks, eyeing him questionably. 

It’s Sarah who answers and she just shrugs casually. “Friends don’t look at each other that way.” 

_Friends don’t look at friends that way_

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it! :) tank u for reading 🥺 i didn’t really like this thatttt much, mainly because i wished a picked a song that fit them better? and i think the snippets i wrote about were a little weird, but i think it ended up being ok. lemme know what you think!


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